Fr. John Bayer
Drawing life from the side of Jesus
A Word to Enkindle, March 18, 2024
“Drawing life from the side of Jesus” by Fr. John for The Texas Catholic. I’ve celebrated several baptisms lately, and I think I’ve realized something beautiful about the sacraments: We come to new life through a mystical embrace, through sacramental contact with the “side” of Jesus. John the Evangelist testifies to the “blood and water” […]
Looking for Prophets
A Word to Enkindle, February 09, 2024
My impression is that many people today think we live in unprecedented and negative times. They feel afraid as they watch ideologies make bold moves for economic and political power.
In a certain basic sense, it is hard for me to agree that our times are unprecedented. The Church must struggle in every age, and we just don’t have that divine vision which would allow us to compare, definitively or apocalyptically, our own age with any other. On the other hand, I can easily understand the feeling that things are urgent; after all, these are our times, and so we are, quite rightly, sensitive to their dramatic character.
Learning from ‘Las Posadas’
A Word to Enkindle, January 12, 2024
“Learning from ‘Las Posadas’” by Fr. John for The Texas Catholic. This Christmas I had the very edifying experience of attending for the first time a celebration of Las Posadas. The celebration was organized by Puede Network, a youth empowerment organization in Oak Cliff that strives to help especially underserved minority students access transformative programs in academics, […]
Lay engagement in the synod and beyond
A Word to Enkindle, November 02, 2023
“Lay engagement in the synod and beyond” by Fr. John for The Texas Catholic. As a member of the synod preparatory commission, one of the exciting things I have seen is the synergy between clergy and laity in our diocese. Of course, we are still a pilgrim people, and the data we received from the […]
The Witness of Little Souls, Part 3
A Word to Enkindle, October 17, 2023
This is my third column in a series on the premature death of children.
The Witness of Little Souls, Part 2
A Word to Enkindle, September 17, 2023
In my last column, I reflected on the beautiful witness offered by children who were miscarried or stillborn. Now, I’d like to reflect on their parents.
The Witness of Little Souls, Part 1
A Word to Enkindle, July 21, 2023
I recently presided at a funeral for a child who was stillborn. In preparing, I became convinced that such children and their parents are powerful witnesses to Christian faith. In this column, I’d like to reflect on these children, and in the next two columns on their parents.
The evolution of worship
A Word to Enkindle, February 01, 2023
The universe is not dumbly there. Something marvelous is happening. The universe is moving. It is leading to a creature whose powers enable it to unite all creation in interior knowledge in order to offer it in loving friendship to the Creator. The structure of the universe leads to worship.
Eucharist
A Word to Enkindle, November 25, 2022
“Eucharist” by Fr. John for The Texas Catholic. You may know the Church in America is promoting a National Eucharistic Revival. After a few years of grassroots initiatives, it culminates with a major event in July 2024. Check out eucharisticrevival.org for details. Why have a revival? As the authors of the website write, “Our world […]
The Art of Dying
A Word to Enkindle, October 28, 2022
“The Art of Dying” by Fr. John for The Texas Catholic. Our diocese is blessed by the presence of institutions like the Catholic Medical Guild of Dallas and the St. Basil Society. Catholic medical professionals should look up these institutions, because they can find in them opportunities for friendship, networking and important continuing formation. Especially […]